Virginia Law

A. A school shall have contingency plans for medical emergencies that include staff certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency first aid, and medication administration.

B. The school administration shall ensure that the school has:

1. Written procedures to follow in emergencies such as fire, injury, illness, and violent or threatening behavior. Contingency plans should be developed with the assistance of state or local public safety authorities. Such plans shall be outlined in the student handbook and reviewed with staff and students during the first week of each school year;

2. Space for the proper care of students who become ill; and

3. A written procedure for responding to violent, disruptive, or illegal activities by students on school property or during a school-sponsored activity.

C. Each school shall annually have at least one tornado drill, at least one earthquake drill, and at least two lockdown drills, one in September and one in January.

D. The school shall have a written emergency preparedness and response plan for all locations that addresses:

1. Documentation of contact with the local emergency coordinator to determine (i) local disaster risks, (ii) communitywide plans to address different disasters and emergency situations, and (iii) assistance, if any, that the local emergency management office will provide to the school in an emergency.

2. Analysis of the school's capabilities and potential hazards, including natural disasters, severe weather, fire, flooding, workplace violence, intruder, hostage situation, or terrorism, missing persons, riot, severe injuries, or other emergencies that would disrupt the normal course of service delivery.

3. Written emergency management policies outlining specific responsibilities for provision of administrative direction and management of response activities; coordination of logistics during the emergency; communications; life safety of students, employees, contractors, student interns, volunteers, and visitors; property protection; community outreach; and recovery and restoration.

4. Written emergency response procedures for assessing the situation; protecting students, employees, contractors, student interns, volunteers, and visitors; protecting equipment and education records; and restoring services.

5. Emergency procedures, which shall address:

a. Communicating with employees, contractors, volunteers, student interns, and community responders;

b. Warning and notification of students;

c. Providing emergency access to secure areas and opening locked doors;

d. Conducting evacuations to emergency shelters or alternative sites and accounting for all students;

e. Relocating students and staff, if necessary;

f. Notifying family members and legal guardians;

g. Alerting emergency personnel and sounding alarms; and

h. Locating and shutting off utilities when necessary.

6. Supporting documents that would be needed in an emergency, including emergency call lists, building and site maps necessary to shut off utilities, designated escape routes, and list of major resources such as local emergency shelters.

7. Schedule for testing the implementation of the plan and conducting emergency preparedness drills.

8. Children who use wheelchairs, crutches, canes, or other mechanical devices for assistance in walking shall be provided with a planned, personalized means of effective egress for use in emergencies.

E. The school shall have emergency preparedness and response training for all employees, contractors, student interns, and volunteers that shall include responsibilities for:

1. Alerting emergency personnel and sounding alarms;

2. Implementing evacuation procedures, including evacuation of students with special needs (i.e., deaf, blind, nonambulatory);

3. Using, maintaining, and operating emergency equipment;

4. Accessing emergency information for students including medical information; and

5. Utilizing community support services.

F. There shall be documented review of the emergency preparedness plan annually and revisions made if necessary.

G. Employees, contractors, student interns, and volunteers shall be prepared to implement the emergency preparedness plan in the event of an emergency.

H. Floor plans showing primary and secondary means of egress shall be posted on each floor in locations where they can easily be seen by staff and students.

I. The procedures and responsibilities reflected in the emergency procedures shall be communicated to all students within seven days following admission or a substantive change in the procedures.

J. At least one emergency evacuation drill shall be conducted in each building occupied by students at least once per week for the first 20 school days and then once a month for the rest of the school year and more often if necessary.

K. Evacuation drills shall include, at a minimum:

1. Sounding of emergency alarms;

2. Practice in evacuating buildings and buses or vans;

3. Practice in alerting emergency authorities;

4. Simulated use of emergency equipment; and

5. Practice in securing student emergency information.

L. A record shall be maintained for each evacuation drill and shall include the following:

1. Buildings and buses or vans in which the drill was conducted;

2. Date and time of drill;

3. Amount of time to evacuate the buildings;

4. Specific problems encountered;

5. Staff tasks completed including head count and practice in notifying emergency authorities; and

6. The name of the staff members responsible for conducting and documenting the drill and preparing the record.

M. The record for each evacuation drill shall be retained for three years after the drill.

N. At least one staff member shall be assigned the responsibility for ensuring that all requirements regarding the emergency preparedness and response plan and the evacuation drill program are met.

O. In the event of a disaster, fire, emergency, or any other condition that may jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of students, the school shall notify the parent(s), the student's public school, placing agency, and department as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the incident occurs.